Reached via US 160 and a 9-mile paved road (SR 564), Navaho National Monument preserves some of the largest and most intact of Arizona's known cliff dwellings in perhaps the most awe-inspiring area in the Southwest. There are two areas that can be visited by ranger guidedtours, eachof which contains a remarkable 13th century Pueblo ruin.

The monument lies within the Navajo Indian Reservation. Traveling off paved roads is not permitted. Most of the unmarked dirt-surfaced roads on the reservation are private driveways; private Navajo property is not open to visitors.

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Note: In summer the Navajo Reservation observes daylight-saving time, which is an hour later than outside the reservation.

At an elevation of approximately 7300 feet, the visitor center at the monument headquarters offers exhibits of ancestral Native American artifacts, a 20-minute videotape about the prehistoric culture.

Betatakin Area is 2.5 miles from monument headquarters by way of a strenuous 5-mile round trip trail. This is the monument's most accessible area and is home to its headquarters.

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The cliff dwelling also can be viewed across the canyon from the end of the Sandal Trail year round via a 1-mile round trip self-guiding walk.

Keet Seel Area is accessible by hiking a difficult 17-mile round trip trail. The area contains the largest and best-preserved cliff dwellings in the vicinity, which date 1250-1300.

I guess you know which 2 out of 3 hikes

the Hawthornes are NOT going on.

After seeing the sign

and reading the information,

the Hawthornes do a u-ey,

maybe 1/2 mile down the road,

and travel back to
the Navajo National Monument turnoff.

Now, here's the golden part:

Backtracking to NNM,

(Mr. Hawthorne HATES backtracking.)

Mr. H. turns to me and says,

"You know?
You really should do better research."

Rosie has shown so much restraint,

what with Mr. Hawthorne's diet issues.

And now I get this comment from him.

A mere mortal woman

would have disposed of him by now.

Tiny pieces.

All across the United States.

We have talked about this utterance since
and he has said,
"You know, as soon as I heard that
coming out of my mouth,
I knew I'd eff'd up."

He has since apologized profusely
for this gaffe on his part.

All you need to know
is that I'm a very capable navigator.
I would say - an excellent navigator.
I coordinate everything -
our route,
physical maps, AAA Tour Books,
and smart phone,
which I'm not smart enough
to properly utilize.
And sometimes,
just sometimes,
things might fly underneath my radar.
This happened with the Navajo National Monument.

But, at least,
I caught the sign.

On the way to Navaho National Monument,

we stopped at the Tsegi Overlook.

This is a maze of canyonlands stretching before us -

the continuing work of millions of years of

powerful and pervasive geological forces.

Upside-down Mountain

On the left:

Hidden away in Tsegi Canyon's wilderness of bare rock, sand, and sparse vegetation are surprising pockets of luxuriant growth. Betatakin Canyon - home to a village of prehistoric cliff-dwelling farms - is one of these oases. Fir canyon, over to your right, is another.

From top to bottom:

Zone 1 - Aspens, Douglas firs

Zone 2 - Ponderosa pines

Zone 3 - Pinyon

On the right:

The deeper and narrower the canyon, the less sunshine reaches into its depths. Less sunshine means less evaporation of rainwater, so plant life flourishes. You could say the the climate of Fir Canyon is like an inverted mountain: there's a gradation downward toward cooler and more humid conditions in the bottom - with plants and animals to match.

From bottom to top:

Zone 1 - Aspens, Douglas firs

Zone 2 - Ponderosa pines

Zone 3 - Pinyon

Water scours and down-cuts channels

in the soft sandstone plateau.

The process is augmented by the forces of frost, plants,

and alternating expansion and contraction of the rock

due to temperature changes.

A gradual uplift of the land

further promotes canyon-cutting

by increasing the speed and cutting force of water.

Flowing water is the "freightline"

that will carry the entire canyon landscape to the sea.

After checking out the Tsegi Overlook,
we went to the ranger headquarters,
where I grabbed a map
and Mr. Hawthorne sat down to watch the video.